Up for earning your turns and a challenge? Put your route-finding skills to the test and check out some of the many classic CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) trails that stem from abandoned resorts or expand beyond lift-serviced terrain at still populated slopes throughout the Granite State. Mount Cardigan, in Alexandria is one example of middle-of-the-road terrain that can throw a curveball, but still be "survivable" in the eyes of a backcountry novice.

Both trails terminate in open pasture below where a rope tow once operated in the 1940s. Some searching for "trailheads" is necessary, but with an AMC lodge nearby and plenty of people around to talk with, it's easy to be pointed in the direction of memorable lines.

Getting there:

Fly into Manchester, New Hampshire; Mount Cardigan is 74 miles to the north of Manchester via I-93.